Blotter.



No 739,704. PATBNTED SEPT, 22, 1903;

- E. K.- NELSON.

BLOTTER.

APPLICATION FILED. mm: s, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

wifneaoea UNITED STATES Patented September 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE."

BLQTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '739,'704,datedSeptember 22, 1903 Application filed one 6, 1903. Serial No. 160,375.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, EDWIN K. NELSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBlotters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to blot-ters; and it consists in constructingthesame so as to reduce the cost of manufacture, secure a flexible bed forthe pad, and provide a device from which the pad-support can be readilyremoved when desired, as fully described hereinafter and as illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective viewof my improved blotter, showing one form in which it may be made; Fig.2, a side View; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the members detached; Fig.4, a perspective view showing the handle formed in one part with theback-plate.

The back-plate A may be made of wood or metal in any suitable manner andprovided with a central knob or handle B, but preferably consists of asingle plate of metal bent down at the ends to form flanges or lips 1 1.The other member of the device consists of a flexible plate 0,preferably oblong in form and of metal or other thin flexible material,said plate being longer than the distance between the fianges 1 1, sothat the plate can only be introduced between said flanges by bending itto a bow shape, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The strips of blotting-paper constituting the pad D are somewhat longerthan the plate 0 and are placed beneath and bent over the ends of thelatter, and said strips and plate are then bent or bowed so that theends of the plate may be carried between the flanges 1 1, against whichthey will bear when the pressure used to bend the plate is released, theplate, with its pad, being thus securely confined to the back-piece, butcapable of being readily removed by bending either end away from itsflange when it is necessary to re-cover the plate or substitute anotherpad or strip for that used;

The back-plate A is provided at its ends with slots E, which expose aportion of each end of the plate 0 and enable the user to readily graspsaid plate 0 and apply thereto the pressure required to disengage itfrom the flanges or lips 1.

It will be seen that if the lips or flanges 1 extended entirely acrossthe end of the backplate it would be impossible to apply pressuredirectly to the ends of the flexible retaining-- plate C, and thereforeitwould be quite difficult to renew the strips of the pad D whendesired. By constructing the back-plate A in the mannor illustrated anddescribed, however-that hereinafter described.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the knob B is a separatepart attached to the back-piece; but in the construction shown in Fig. 4a knob or handle is formed by bend ing up the portions 4, which arepartially detached from the back-piece in forming the slots or aperturesE, and riveting them toget-her.

It will be seen that by the construction above described the cost ofmanufacture is reduced to a minimum, there being but practically twomembers or parts in the construction independently of the pads, andthese parts may be formed by cutting or stamping from sheet metal andare light in weight, and while the support for the pad is flexible andyielding, it is readily removed from the backplate, owing to the slots Ein said plate.

Without limiting myself to the construction shown, I claim- 1. A blotterconsisting of a back-piece having slots formed in its ends, and g aflexible pad-support, longer than the back-piece, having its endsengagedwith said back-piece and extending across the slots therein.

2. A blotter consisting of a back-piece having slots formed in its endsand provided with flanges on both sides of said slots, and a flexiblepads-upport, longer than the back-piece, bearing against said flangesand extending across the slots in said back-piece.

IUU

3. A blotter consisting of a back-piece hav ing end flanges and aportion adjacent each In testimony whereof I have signed my end bent upfrom the body and united to form name to this specification in thepresence of 10 a handle, Isaid bent-up sections forming slots twosubscribing witnesses.

opening t rough the ends 0 the back-piece,

and a flexible pad-support, longer than the EDWIN NELSON back-piece,having its ends bearing against Witnesses:

said flanges and extending across the slots in 'EDWD. RAMSEY, theback-piece. E. M. WISTAR.

